Investigating the link between dopamine transmission and reality-monitoring abilities
Official title: The Role of Dopamine in Reality Memory
Run by Hôpital le Vinatier · NCT05711082 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing if a new brain stimulation treatment can help people with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease better tell the difference between real experiences and imagined ones by looking at how dopamine affects their thinking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 45 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 39 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Hôpital le Vinatier Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Bron) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 15, 2024 |
| Main results expected | January 15, 2027 |
| Study ends | February 28, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | June 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05711082 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are healthy volunteers aged 18 to 45 who are fluent in French and have normal or corrected vision.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with any past or current psychiatric or neurological conditions, or those with significant medical issues, may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study explores the relationship between dopamine (DA) transmission and reality-monitoring, which is the ability to distinguish between real experiences and imagined ones. It focuses on individuals with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, as impaired reality-monitoring is often associated with hallucinations in these populations. The study will utilize fronto-temporal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and various dopamine-related interventions to assess their effects on reality-monitoring performance. The goal is to establish a direct link between DA transmission and reality-monitoring abilities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments for hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been studies linking dopamine transmission to hallucinations, this specific approach exploring the direct connection with reality-monitoring is novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy volunteers who have given their written informed consent * Men and women from 18 to 45 years old * Normal or corrected vision * Being fluent in French or French for native language * Being affiliated with health insurance Exclusion Criteria: * Healthy volunteers who have given their written informed consent * Men and women from 18 to 45 years old * Normal or corrected vision * Being fluent in French or French for native language * Being affiliated with health insurance * Inadmissibility of the subject's consent or refusal * Working-memory deficit (as controlled with MMSE score\< 23) * Any past or current psychiatric or somatic condition(as controlled with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, MINI) * Any past or current neurological condition * History of cranio-cerebral trauma, arterial hypotension or hypertension, cardiological or serious medical condition * Abnormal potassium dosage (below 3.1 mmol/L or above 4.9 mmol/L) * Anormal ECG * History of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives * Alcohol-drinking and caffeine intake at least during 24 hours before each session * Drug therapy excepting contraceptives * Cardiologic or severe medical conditio * Pregnancy(checked with a pregnancy autotest), lactation, or insufficient contraceptive measure (precautionary measure) * Consumption of recreational drugs during the last 6 months * Known sensitivity to any of the study medication and their excipients * Lactose intolerance * Porphyria * Hepatic insufficiency
Where it's running
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Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier
Bron, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Filipe Galvao — Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier
- Study coordinator: Jerome Brunelin
- Email: jerome.brunelin@ch-le-vinatier.fr
- Phone: 0033437915565
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.